Saturday, March 31, 2018

The only thing whose reality we cannot doubt is our Consciousness of our own Existence – our Non-Dual Self-Consciousness, "I exist". Other than this Non-Dual & fundamental Consciousness "I exist", everything that we experience is open to doubt. Hence we cannot reasonably avoid doubting the reality of all Duality, & suspecting that in fact the only Reality is our Non-Dual Consciousness of our own Existence, "I exist".

By what standard can we determine whether or not something is real ? A thing can be truly said to be real only if it is absolutely, unconditionally & independently real, & not if its reality is in any way relative, conditional, or dependent upon something else. Therefore, according to Sri Ramana, something can be called real only if it satisfies 3 essential criteria: it must be:

1) Eternal,

2) Unchanging, &

3) Self-shining.

If something is not Eternal, though it may appear to be "real" for a certain period of time, it was not real before it came into existence, & it will not be real after it ceases to exist, so in fact it is unreal even while it appears to be real. Because it is confined within the limits of Time, its seeming reality is relative & conditional. That which is Absolutely & Unconditionally Real must be Real at all times, & cannot be limited in relation to anything else.

Moreover, if something undergoes Change during the course of time, it is one thing at one time, but becomes another thing at another time, & hence it does not exist Eternally as any one thing. Being impermanent, that which changes is not Real.

However, the most important criteria by which we can determine something as real is that it must be Self-Shining. By the term "self-shining", Sri Ramana means "self-knowing" or "self-conscious", that is, knowing itself by its own light of Consciousness. That which is Absolutely & Unconditionally Real need not depend upon any Consciousness other than itself to be known. If something depends upon something else in order to be known as existing or real, then its reality depends upon the reality of the Consciousness that knows it. Since it does not know itself to be real, it is not real at all, but merely appears to be real so long as it is known by the Consciousness that knows it.

Measured by this standard, the only existing Reality is our fundamental Consciousness "I exist", because among all the things that we experience or know, it is the only thing that is permanent, the only thing that never undergoes any Change, & the only thing that knows its own existence

without the aid of any other thing.

Unlike this Consciousness "I exist", our Mind is impermanent, because it appears in the States of Waking & Dream, & disappears in Deep Dreamless Sleep. Even while it does appear to exist, our Mind is constantly undergoing Change, thinking of one thing at one moment & another thing at another moment.

And though our Mind appears to know itself by its own power of Consciousness, in fact the Consciousness by which it knows itself & all other things is only our basic Consciousness "I exist", which it seemingly usurps as its own, but which is nevertheless independent of it. Our Mind is distinct from our essential Consciousness "I exist", by the light of which it seemingly knows the existence of itself & other things, because our Consciousness "I exist" can exist in the absence of our Mind, as in Deep Dreamless Sleep.

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through www.jpstiga.com

Friday, March 30, 2018

Moreover, our Mind does not always identify the same Body as "I". In Waking, the Mind takes one Body to be "I", but in each Dream it takes some other Dream–Body to be "I". Since it can identify itself with different bodies at different times, it cannot really be any of those bodies.

By identifying itself with a Body, our Mind deludes itself into experiencing our Consciousness "I exist" as being something confined within the limits of a Body, & a Body composed of unconscious Matter as being something that is endowed with Consciousness. If our Mind did not delude itself in this manner, it would not exist as a separate entity called "Mind", but would remain as pure Consciousness, undefiled by any form of limitation.

Because the very nature of our Mind is to delude itself into experiencing that it is what it is not, Sri Ramana said that our Mind itself is māyā, the primordial power of Delusion, Illusion or self-deception – the power that makes what is Real appear to be unreal, & what is unreal appear to be Real.

In Dream our Mind projects an imaginary Body, which it identifies as "I", & through the 5 Senses of that Body it perceives an imaginary World. So long as our Mind continues to be in that State of Dream, it takes the Body & World that it experiences in Dream to be real. However absurd some of the things which it experiences may appear to exist, still our Mind deludes itself into believing that those things are real. So long as our Mind experiences itself as a Body, it cannot but experience all that it perceives through the Senses of that Body as real. But when we wake up from a Dream, we cease to experience the Dream–Body as "I", & we simultaneously cease to experience the Dream World as Real.

Thus from our experience in Dream, & our contrasting experience on Waking from Dream, we can clearly understand that by the power of its imagination our Mind has the ability to create a World of duality & simultaneously convince itself that that World is real. When we know that our Mind has this power of simultaneous creation & self-deception, we have to doubt whether all the duality that it now experiences in the Waking state is anything other than a product of its own self-deceiving power of Imagination.

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through www.jpstiga.com

Thursday, March 29, 2018

However, in addition to knowing its own Existence, our Consciousness sometimes seems to know other things also. When our Consciousness thus appears to know things other than itself, we call it our "Mind". What exactly is this "Mind", this Consciousness that knows otherness & Duality ?

Is it the true form of our Consciousness, or merely a false super-imposition upon our real Self-Consciousness "I exist" ? Is it real, or is it merely a false appearance ? Whenever our Mind rises, it rises in conjunction with a Body, with which it identifies itself, feeling "I am this Body".

Without identifying itself with a Body, our Mind cannot rise. Once it has risen, identifying itself with a particular Body, through the 5 Senses of that Body it perceives the World. Thus our Mind's Identification with a Body is fundamental to its ability to know the World.

But how does this Identification with a Body arise ? Our Mind is a form of Consciousness, whereas this Body is a physical form composed of unconscious Matter. By identifying itself with this Body, our Mind is confusing 2 different things as one. It is confusing Consciousness, which is not physical Matter, with the physical form of this Body, which is not Consciousness.

Therefore our Mind is a confused & spurious form of Consciousness, a phantom which is neither our real Consciousness "I exist", nor the physical form of this Body, but which mixes these 2 different things together, feeling "I am this Body". Though our Mind usurps the properties of both our Consciousness "I exist" & this physical Body, it is in fact neither of these 2 things.

Since the Body appears & disappears, & constantly undergoes change, it is not our Real Consciousness "I exist", which neither appears nor disappears, but exists & knows its own Existence at all times & in all states without ever undergoing any change. And since our Mind is conscious, it is not this Body, which is unconscious Matter.

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through www.jpstiga.com

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Reality 79

Reality as It is (continued):

Consider what is taken to be real & how you determine what is real. In an external sense, you may seem to gather facts about things, but do you really ? Or do you have a series of Sense Perceptions, some of which are True & some of which are False ?

Everyone has had the experience of seeing an optical illusion or such, & the vast majority of information comes by word-of-mouth anyway. Somebody else tells you, or you read something, or you construct a view–point. You construct a view–point of the World regarded as real based primarily on your own ideas, or opinions, or the opinions of others, which when repeated often enough are considered to be real. How much of what you know about the World, about others, etc., is merely ideas & opinions created out of your own thinking & the words & thoughts of others ? How much of it is actual experience ?

This is looking at it at the most relative, basic level. How much of it is just thought of in the Mind & survives as an idea primarily due to one not undergoing actual experience of any of those things, which might prove one's idea to be completely different ?

Apply this point in a deeper way to the Mind & Real Existence. How much of what you consider to be real is merely an idea, a thought, perhaps an often–repeated thought ? Conversely, how much is actual experience of pure Existence undefined by any thought ?

Whatever we regard as your Identity determines what you are using to determine Reality. Consequently your view of what is true likewise depends upon your Identity. How are we to see Reality truly as it is, & not as it is imagined to be ? Why should we do so ?

As countless ancient Sages have testified, & as taught by Sri Ramana Maharshi, if you know Reality as it is, yours is inexpressible Peace & Bliss prolonged without any termination whatsoever. It is like awakening from a long Dream. If you do not know Reality as it is, there will be Bondage & is consequent Suffering.

The above themes & 2600 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through:

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Reality 78

Reality as It is (continued):

If we want to know Existence as it is, as Sri Ramana Maharshi says, we have to give up "the Objective outlook". Until we give up the Objective outlook, there is no use wrangling in the Mind, let alone arguing with one another, as to what is Real, what is unreal, what is 1/2 real & unreal, what is both real & unreal, what is neither Real nor unreal, or any other logical combination you can manage to imagine. Such serves little purpose, & so in Non-Dual texts and in the writings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, those kinds of concepts are discarded. You give up the Objective outlook, lose the sense of Ego, & then you find Reality as it is.

What does giving up the Objective outlook mean ? What you experience as Reality is determined by what you used to determine that Reality. What you consider to be Real depends entirely upon the instrument you're using to determine what is Real, & that instrument is very much woven together with where you take your "stand", with what you identify.

For example, if one misidentifies with the physical form, a Body, in most circumstances such a person would use the Senses as the determination of Reality & will see or cognize only that which is perceived by the Senses, regarding what is, not a sense–perceived, as "not there" or as unreal. Otherwise one thinks that if it is Real it is "beyond his experience".

However, if the "stand" would change so that you would no longer identifies merely as a physical Body, correspondingly he would no longer take the Senses as being the determinants of Reality. Then what would be Real for you ? If you consider that all that comes through your Senses is not the Reality, or is only a partial "perception" of Reality, or is a mis-perception of Reality, such considerably expands your spiritual horizons.

Of course, this makes it much more possible for you to come to the Realization of Absolute Truth, because Formless Existence, Perpetual Consciousness, is not something that will come to you through your Senses. Consciousness is realized by a different kind of Knowledge.

The above themes & 2600 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through:

Monday, March 26, 2018

Reality 77

[The "Mind & Happiness" series will be interspersed for a while with insertions from the previous "Reality" series, picking up at this "Reality 77".]

Reality as It is:

There is One, which dwells in all of us, which is All, & which utterly transcends all. That One is the Real Self, the Abiding Truth, the Non-Dual Reality. By your own Self-Inquiry & Knowledge of yourself, you come to realize Reality, that is, you come to know the Truth.

Nevertheless, we express a Teaching that points to the Truth, that points to the way to realize it, and then you go within an know it first-hand in a way that is beyond words & beyond thought – beyond an individual Knower & an Object known.

Reality as it is pure, un-mixed Existence. It is not "existence" as merely a "thing", nor as many things, nor even as all things put together, but just Existence without the superimposed notion of anything objective, without form, free of limitations of forwithout division, & having no parts. There is nothing else to divide Existence, to divide Reality.

Reality may also be said to be pure Consciousness without limitation, without individuality, impersonal, without a Subject & an Object, & free of all kinds of division. Reality is also Bliss, which is why when a person realizes the Truth, or finds Reality that person has a Happiness which endures, which does not depend on any cause, which is without conditions, & which is without end.

How you to find the Reality, if your spiritual search is to find the Ultimate Truth, the Absolute Reality ? How we to find Reality when you yourself are the Reality ? The attempt to find Reality as if it were an Object, is somewhat like a dog or cat chasing around in a round after its own tail.

Reality is homogeneous Existence, this un-limited Consciousness. Yet if this is not your own experience, why is that so ? To tell the truth, there is no valid reason why that is so. Because there is no valid reason, we say, it is because of "Ignorance". The nature of Ignorance is Illusion, which is something unreal. While it is not possible for the unreal which has never come to be, to veil or diminish Reality. Reality always exists, yet a seeker tries to realize Truth, & there seems to be something that hides the Truth.

What seems to hide the Truth ? What seems to make the division ? What seem to give rise to a split where, in truth, there is only Non-Dual Existence ? What seems to hide the Truth is whatever we regard as "this". By this is meant anything Objective. Primarily this appears as what we take to be "things" & what we take to be thought.

For someone who is accustomed to meditating in a profound manner & who realizes the World to be within the Mind, the "things" & the thoughts will be regarded as of the same substance. A person seems to be separated from that Absolute Reality, the Supreme Self, though the True Nature of the Self is for Mind, or God. One seems to be separated from the Absolute by this – by the objective definitions, which pertain to "things" & thoughts.

The above themes & 2600 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through:

Sunday, March 25, 2018

All words are open to interpretation – & misinterpretation. This is particularly true of words that speak about the Spirit – the Reality that lies beyond the limitations of physical matter, & that therefore cannot be perceived by the 5 Senses, or known as an object of Consciousness. All interpretations of such words fall into 2 distinct categories – interpretations that are strictly non-dualistic, admitting no division of the One & only Reality, & interpretations that are either completely dualistic, or that at least concede that within the One Reality there are divisions & distinctions that are real.

Ultimately the interpretation that we each choose to accept depends not upon the Truth itself – because the nature of the Truth cannot be proved objectively – but upon our own personal preferences. Most people – whether they hold religious beliefs or cherish a more materialistic outlook on Life – prefer to take a Dualistic view of Reality, because such a view assures them of the reality of their own Individuality, & of the World they perceive through their Senses, & (if they choose to believe in God) of God as a separately existing entity. Therefore the only basis for a Dualistic view of Reality is the attachment that people have to their own Individuality, to the World that they think gives them Happiness, & to their idea of a God who they believe will give them the things that will make them happy.

There is no way that a Dualistic view of Reality can be proved to be correct & valid. All our knowledge of Duality is obtained by our Mind & exists only within our Mind. If our Mind is real, then Duality may be real. But the reality of our Mind is open to question & doubt.

If we are not overly attached to our existence as a separate Individual, we can begin to question & doubt the reality of our Mind. If we do so, we will be led unavoidably to a Non-Dualistic view of Reality. Of all the knowledge we know, the one Knowledge whose reality we cannot reasonably doubt is our own essential Consciousness "I exist". Knowledge can exist only if there is a Consciousness to know it. Since all knowledge depends for its seeming existence upon Consciousness, this Consciousness is the one fundamental, irreducible, & indubitable truth of our experience. Because we know, our Consciousness is undoubtedly real.

The one essential quality of Consciousness is that it is always Self-Conscious – it always knows its own existence or Existence – & that Consciousness of its own Existence is what we experience as "I exist".

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through www.jpstiga.com

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Since true Self-Knowledge is therefore the State in which our individual Consciousness, our Mind or Ego, is known to be a false appearance that never existed except in its own imagination, Sri Ramana often described it as the state of "egolessness", "loss of individuality", or "destruction of the Mind."

Another term that is commonly used, both in Buddhism & in advaita vēdānta, to describe this state of annihilation or extinction of our personal identity is nirvāṇa, a word that literally means "blown out" or "extinguished". This is the same state that most religions refer to as "liberation" or "salvation", because only in this state of true Self-Knowledge are we free or saved from the bondage of mistaking our self to be a separate individual, a Consciousness that is confined within the limits of a physical Body.

The sole Reality that exists & is known in this state of ego-less-ness, nirvāṇa or Salvation is our fundamental & essential Consciousness "I exist". Since it does not identify itself with any delimiting adjunct, our essential & pure Consciousness "I exist" is a single, undivided & unlimited whole, separate from which nothing can exist.

All the Diversity & Multiplicity that appears to exist so long as we identify our self with a physical Body, is known only by our Mind, which is merely a distorted & limited form of our original Consciousness "I exist". If this Consciousness "I exist" did not exist, nothing else could appear to exist. Therefore, our fundamental Consciousness "I exist" is the Source & Origin of all Knowledge – the one Basis of all that appears to exist.

Our essential Consciousness "I am" is thus the Ultimate Reality, the original Source from which everything arises, & the final Destination towards which all religions & spiritual traditions seek to lead us. Most religions call this fundamental Reality "God" or the "Supreme Being", or else they refer to it in a more abstract manner as the true State of Existence. But by whatever name they may call it – & whether they describe it as Existence or a State of Existence– the Truth is that the Supreme & Absolute Reality is not anything other than our own Existence, the Consciousness which we experience as "I exist".

In his True Form, his Essential Nature, God is not something or some person who exists outside us or separate from us, but is the Spirit or Consciousness that exists within us as our own Essential Nature. God is the pure Consciousness "I exist", the true Form of Consciousness that is not limited by identifying itself with a physical Body or any other adjunct. But when we, who are that same pure Consciousness "I exist", identify our self with a physical Body, feeling "I am this Body, I am a person, an Individual confined within the limits of Time & Space," we become the Mind, a false & illusory form of Consciousness. Because we identify our self with adjuncts in this manner, we seemingly separate our self from the adjunct-less pure Consciousness "I exist", which is God.

By thus imagining our self to be an Individual separate from God, we violate his Unlimited Wholeness & Undivided Oneness. The inner aim of all religions & spiritual traditions is to free us from this illusory state in which we imagine that we are separate from God, the One Unlimited & Undivided Reality.

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through www.jpstiga.com

Friday, March 23, 2018

This individual Consciousness – our feeling "I am a person, a separate Individual, a Mind or soul confined within the limits of a Body" – is merely an imagination, a false & distorted form of our pure Consciousness "I exist", but it is nevertheless the root cause of all Desire & all Suffering.

Unless we give up this individual Consciousness, this false notion that we are separate from God, we can never be free of Desire, nor of Suffering, which is the inevitable consequence of desire. True Self-Surrender is therefore nothing but giving up the false notion that we are separate from God. In order to give up this false notion, we must know who we really are. And in order to know who we really are, we must attend to the Consciousness that we feel to be "I".

Though the Consciousness that we now feel to be "I" is only a false Consciousness, a limited & distorted form of the Real Consciousness that is God, by attending to it keenly we can know the real Consciousness that underlies it. That is, attending keenly to this false form of Consciousness is similar to looking closely at a Snake that we imagine we see lying on the ground in the dim light of dusk. When we look closely at the Snake, we discover that it is in fact nothing but a Rope.

Similarly, if we keenly attend to the limited & distorted individual Consciousness that we now feel to be "I", we will discover that it is in fact nothing but the Real & Un-limited Consciousness "I exist", which is God. Just as the illusory appearance of the Snake dissolves & disappears as soon as we see the Rope, so the illusory feeling that we are a separate individual Consciousness confined within the limits of a Body will dissolve & disappear as soon as we experience the

pure Non-Dual Consciousness, which is the Reality both of our Self & of God.

We can thus achieve complete & perfect Self-Surrender only by knowing our self to be the Real Consciousness that is devoid of all duality & separateness. Without knowing our True Self, we cannot surrender our false self, & without surrendering our false self, we cannot know our True Self.

Self-Surrender & Self-Knowledge are thus inseparable, like the 2 sides of one sheet of paper. In fact, the terms "Self-Surrender" & "Self-Knowledge" are just 2 ways of describing one & the same state – the pure Non-Dual State of Consciousness devoid of Individuality.

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through www.jpstiga.com

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Besides describing the means to attain Self-Knowledge by the use of terms that mean "Self-Attention" or "Self-Abidance", Sri Ramana also described it by terms that mean "Self-Surrender" or "Self-Denial". By using the latter terms, he affirmed that the ultimate aim of all forms of Dualistic Devotion – devotion to a God who is conceived as other than the devotee – is in fact the Non-DualState of true Self-Knowledge.

In order to know our True Self, we must give up our identification with the false individual self that we now mistake to be "I". Therefore, surrendering or denying our personal self – our Mind, which is our confused & distorted Consciousness "I am this Body, a person called so-&-so" – is essential if we are to know our true unadulterated Consciousness "I exist", which is our Real Self.

Our individual self, which is the limited & distorted Consciousness that we call our "Mind" or "Ego", & that in theological terminology is called our "soul", nourishes its seeming existence by attending to things other than itself. When we cease attending to other things, as in sleep, our Mind or individual self subsides, but as soon as we begin to think of other things, it again rises & flourishes. Without thinking of things other than "I", our Mind cannot stand. Therefore, when we attempt to turn our attention away from all objects & towards our fundamental Consciousness "I", we are surrendering or denying our individual self, our Mind or Ego. Self-Attention or Self-Abidance is thus the perfect means to attain the state of "Self-Surrender" or "Self-Denial".

This is why in verse 31 of Vivēkacūḍāmaṇi Sri Adi Sankara defines bhakti or "Devotion" as sva-svarūpa-anusandhāna or "Self-Attention", the investigation or close inspection of our own true form or essential nature, which is our fundamental Self-Consciousness – our Non-Dual Consciousness of our own Existence, "I am". Sri Ramana expresses the same truth in verse 15 of Upadēśa Taṉippākkaḷ, but at the same Time explains why it is so:

He also expresses a similar idea in the 13th paragraph of his brief treatise Nāṉ Yār? (Who am I ?): Being completely absorbed in ātma-niṣṭha [Self-Abidance, the State of just Existence as we really are], giving not even the slightest room to the rising of any thought other than ātma-cintana [the thought of our own Real Self], is giving our self to God. […]"

People who practice Dualistic Devotion believe that the highest form of devotion to God – the purest form of Love – is to surrender our self wholly to Him. In order to surrender themselves to Him, they try to deny themselves by giving up their Attachment to all that they consider as "mine" & in particular by renouncing their own individual will. Thus the ultimate prayer of every true devotee is, "Thy Will be done – not my will, but only Thine".

However, so long as the Mind exists, it will inevitably have a will of its own. Desire & Attachment are inherent in the Mind, the very fabric of which it is made. Therefore, so long as we feel our self to be an individual "I", we will also have an individual will, & will feel a sense of Attachment to "mine". The only way we can surrender our own will & give up all our Attachments is to surrender the Mind that has an individual will & feels Attachment to the Body & other possessions.

Trying to surrender our individual will & sense of "mine" – our desires & Attachments – without actually surrendering our Individuality, our Ego or sense of Existence as a separate "I", is like cutting the leaves & branches off a tree without cutting its root. Until & unless we cut the root, the branches& leaves will continue sprouting again & again. Similarly, until & unless we surrender our Ego, the root of all our desires & Attachments, all our efforts to give up our desires & Attachments will fail, because they will continue to sprout again & again in one subtle form or another. Therefore Self-Surrender can be complete & final only when our individual self, the limited Consciousness that we call our "Mind" or "Ego", is surrendered wholly.

So long as we feel that we exist as an Individual who is separate from God, we have not surrendered our self wholly to him. Though we are in truth only the pure, unlimited & non-personal Consciousness "I exist", which is the spirit or true form of God, we feel that we are separate from Him because we mistake our self to be a limited individual Consciousness that has identified itself with a particular Body.

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through www.jpstiga.com

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Sri Ramana spoke & wrote mostly in Tamil [Dravidian], his mother tongue, but he was also conversant in Sanskrit [Indo-European], Telugu [Dravidian], Malayalam [Dravidian], & English [Indo-European].

Tamil is the oldest surviving member of the Dravidian family of languages, & has a rich & ancient classical literature. Though in its origins it belongs to a family of languages that is entirely independent of the Indo-European family, for the past 2,000 years or so Tamil literature has made rich & abundant use of words borrowed from Sanskrit, the oldest surviving member of the Indo-European family. Therefore, most of the terms Sri Ramana used to describe the practical means by which we can attain Self-Knowledge are either Tamil words or words of Sanskrit origin that are commonly used in Tamil spiritual literature.

The words he thus used in Tamil have been translated in English by a variety of different words, some of which convey the import & spirit of his original words more clearly & accurately than others. Perhaps 2 of the clearest & most simple terms used in English to convey the Sense of the words that he used in Tamil to describe the practical means to attain Self-Knowledge are "Self-Attention" & "Self-Abidance".

The term "Self-Attention" denotes the Knowing aspect of the practice, while the term "Self-Abidance" denotes its Existence aspect. Since our Real Self, which is Non-Dual Self-Consciousness, knows itself not by an act of Knowing but merely by Existence itself, the state of knowing our Real Self is just the state of Existence our Real Self. Thus attending to our Self–Consciousness & abiding as our Self–Consciousness are one & the same thing.

All the other words that Sri Ramana used to describe the practice are intended to be clues that help to clarify what this state of "Self-Attention" or "Self-Abidance" really is. A few of the terms which he used to describe the practice of "Self-Attention" or "Self-Abidance" are in fact terms already used in some of the classical texts of advaita vēdānta. However, though such texts have used some of the same terms that Sri Ramana used to express the practice, they have seldom explained the true import of those terms in a clear & unambiguous manner. Thus, even after thoroughly studying the classical literature of advaita vēdānta, many people are left with only a vague understanding of what they can do to attain Self-Knowledge. As a result, many mis-conceptions about the practice of advaita vēdānta arose, & some of these mis-conceptions have been prevalent among students & scholars of advaita vēdānta since time immemorial.

One of the terms that occurs in the classical literature of advaita vēdānta &that Sri Ramana frequently used to denote the practice of Self-Attention is vicāra (which is commonly transcribed as vichara, since the "c" in vicāra represents the same sound as "ch" in chutney), but the significance of this term was not clearly understood by most of the traditional scholars of advaita vēdānta.

According to the Sanskrit-English dictionary of Monier-Williams, the term vicāra has various meanings, including "pondering, deliberation, consideration, reflection, examination, investigation", & it is in these senses that this same word is used in Tamil, as is clear from the Tamil Lexicon, which defines it both as "deliberation" or "consideration", & as "unbiased examination with a view to arriving at the Truth" or "investigation". Therefore the term ātma-vicāra, which Sri Ramana frequently used to describe the practice by which we can attain Self-Knowledge, means "Self-Investigation" or "Self-Examination", & denotes the practice of examining, inspecting or scrutinizing our fundamental & essential Consciousness "I exist" with a keen & concentrated power of attention.

Though the term ātma-vicāra can best be translated in English as "Self–Investigation", "Self-Examination", "Self-Inspection", "Self-Scrutiny", "Self-Contemplation", or simply "Self-Attention", in most English translations of Sri Ramana"s teachings it has been translated as "Self-Inquiry". This choice of the English word "Inquiry" to translate vicāra has had unfortunate consequences, because it has created an impression in the Minds of some people that ātma-vicāra, or the vicāra "Who Am I ?" as Sri Ramana often called it, is merely a process of questioning or asking our self "Who am I ?"

This is clearly a mis-interpretation, because in Sanskrit the word vicāra means "Inquiry" in the Sense of "Investigation" rather than in the sense of "questioning". When Sri Ramana spoke of the vicāra "Who am I ?" he did not intend it to imply that we can attain the Non-Dual experience of true Self-Knowledge simply by asking our self the question "Who am I ?" The vicāra "Who am I ?" is an investigation, examination or scrutiny of our fundamental Consciousness "I exist", because only by keenly scrutinizing or inspecting our Consciousness "I" can we discover who we really are – what this Consciousness "I" actually is.

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through www.jpstiga.com

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Though in his Teachings Sri Ramana borrowed some of the terminology, concepts & analogies commonly used in the classical literature of advaita vēdānta, his Teachings are not merely a repetition of the old & familiar teachings contained in that literature. Because he was teaching the Truth that he had known from his own direct experience, & not merely learnt from books, he was able to set aside all the dense mass of non-essential, complex & ponderous arguments & concepts found in that literature [including in some of the Shankara tradition literature], & to throw a fresh & clear light upon the inner essence of advaita vēdānta.

In his Teachings he has revealed the true spirit of advaita vēdānta in a clear & simple manner that can easily be understood even by people who have no previous acquaintance with such Philosophy. Moreover, the simplicity, clarity & directness of his Teachings have helped to clear the confusion created in the Minds of many people who have studied the classical literature of advaita vēdānta, but have been misled by the many well-established misinterpretations of it made by scholars who had no direct experience of the Truth.

In particular, his Teachings have cleared up many misunderstandings that had long existed about the practice of advaita vēdānta, & have clearly revealed the means by which we can attain the experience of true Self-Knowledge. Since the means to attain Self-Knowledge is for some reason seldom stated in clear & unambiguous terms in the classical literature of advaita vēdānta, many misconceptions exist about the spiritual practice advocated by advaita vēdānta. Therefore perhaps the most significant contribution made by Sri Ramana to the literature of advaita vēdānta lies in the fact that in his Teachings he has revealed in very clear, precise & unambiguous terms the practical means by which Self-Knowledge can be attained.

Not only has he explained this practical means very clearly, he has also explained exactly how it will lead us infallibly to the state of Self-Knowledge, & why it is the only means that can do so. Unlike many of the older texts of advaita vēdānta, the Teachings of Sri Ramana are centered entirely around the practical means by which we can attain Self-Knowledge, & all that he taught regarding any aspect of Life was aimed solely at directing our Minds towards this practice.

Though this practical means is essentially very simple, for many people it appears difficult to comprehend, because it is not an action or state of "doing", nor does it involve any form of objective attention. Since the practice is thus a state beyond all mental activity – a state of non-doing & non-objective attention – no words can express it perfectly. Therefore, to enable us to understand & practice it, Sri Ramana has expressed & described it in various different ways, each of which serves as a valuable clue that helps us to know & to be the pure Consciousness that is our own True Self.

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through www.jpstiga.com

Monday, March 19, 2018

The word vēdānta literally means the "conclusion" or "end" (anta) of "knowledge" (vēda), & denotes the philosophical conclusions of the Vēdas. These philosophical conclusions are contained in Vedic texts known as the Upaniṣads, & were later expressed more clearly & in greater detail in 2 other ancient texts known as the Brahma Sūtra & the Bhagavad Gītā.

These 3 bodies of literature, which are known as the "triple source" (prasthāna-traya) of vēdānta, have been interpreted in very different ways, giving rise to 3 distinct systems of vēdāntic philosophy, the pure monistic system known as advaita, the dualistic system known as dvaita, & the qualified monistic system known as viśiṣṭādvaita. Of these 3 systems of philosophy, advaita is not only the most radical but also the least convoluted interpretation of the ancient prasthāna-traya of vēdānta, & hence it is widely recognized as being vēdānta in its purest & truest form.

However, advaita is more than just a scholarly interpretation of some ancient texts. Like the literature of any other system of religious or spiritual philosophy, the literature of advaita includes a huge amount of elaborate & abstruse material written by & for scholars, but such material is not the essence or basis of the advaita philosophy. The Life & Heart of advaitavēdānta lies in a number of crucial texts that contain the sayings & writings of Sages like Sri Ramana who had attained true Self-Knowledge, & whose words therefore reflect their own direct experience of the Reality.

Thus advaita vēdānta is a system of spiritual philosophy that is based not upon mere reasoning or intellectual speculation, but upon the experience of Sages who have attained direct Knowledge of the Non-Dual Reality that underlies the appearance of all multiplicity.

The word advaita literally means "no-2–ness" or "Non-Duality", & denotes the Truth experienced by Sages – the Truth that the Reality is only One, a single undivided whole that is completely devoid of any Duality or Multiplicity. According to Sages who have attained true Self-Knowledge, all Multiplicity is a mere appearance, a distorted view of the one Reality, like the illusory appearance of a Snake seen in a dim light. Just as the Reality underlying the illusory appearance of the Snake is just a Rope lying on the ground, so the Reality underlying the illusory appearance of Multiplicity is only the Non-Dual Consciousness of Existence that we each experience as "I exist".

Sri Ramana"s Teachings are therefore identified with advaita vēdānta for 3 main reasons:

1stly because he experienced & taught the same Non-Dual Reality that was experienced by the Sages whose sayings & writings formed the foundation of the advaita vēdānta philosophy;

2ndly because he was often asked to explain & elucidate various texts from the classical literature of advaita vēdānta; &

3rdly because in his Teachings he made free but nevertheless selective use of the terminology, concepts & analogies used in that classical advaita vēdānta literature. The reason he thus used the terminology & concepts of advaita vēdānta more than those of any other spiritual tradition, such as Buddhism [Huang Po, etc.], Taoism [Lao Tse], Jewish [Melchesedek ?], or Christian [Eckhart] mysticism, or Sufism [Ib'n Arabi's inerviewee], is that most of the people who sought his spiritual guidance were more familiar with advaita vēdānta than with those other spiritual traditions, & hence it was easier for them to understand such terminology & concepts.

However, whenever anyone asked him to elucidate any text or passage from the literature of those other spiritual traditions, he did so with the same ease, clarity & authority that he elucidated the texts of advaita vēdānta.

The above themes & 2500 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through www.jpstiga.com